Soda Jerks Burgers and Bottles

Soda Jerks is a great little gourmet burger diner that has an impressive selection of bottled sodas, milkshakes, and Build Your Own Burgers.

I’d never been to or heard of Soda Jerks until the other day, so I don’t know what I was expecting. Something similar to Fatburger, perhaps?

I was pleasantly surprised. Soda Jerks is a delightful, modern restaurant that – simply put – sells great burgers. They don’t have any claims to pretension, and they definitely don’t put on any airs. They’re a diner. And they have a large selection of bottled sodas and uniquely-flavoured milkshakes.

One of the first things I noticed about their menu was their Big Kid (a.k.a. alcoholic) milkshakes. I was instantly in love. Who wouldn’t want to try a Captain Nut, a butter pecan shake with a shot of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum? And who isn’t curious about mixing cookie dough vodka with a banana shake?

Mint Chocolate Shake

I ordered a small mint chocolate shake (sans alcohol, I’m afraid, because it was a work day), which was deliciously creamy and minty. The milkshakes at Soda Jerks aren’t quite as thick as the ones at Fatburger but they’re cheaper and they have a better selection to choose from. Blue raspberry, cappuccino, peanut butter and jam, pink lemonade…you name it.

And, obviously, as the name entails, they’re known for their sodas. The restaurant offers: Dad’s, Jones, Stewart’s, Boylan, The Pop Shoppe, San Pellegrino, Bawls, Koala, Orangina, Grizzly Paw, Fentiman’s, and Coca-Cola products, all in glass bottles.

Their food menu is just as extensive. We opted for the regular burgers rather than the Build-Your-Owns that the restaurant is so famous for. I tried the Black and Blue burger, with Cajun spice, blue cheese, a beef patty, bacon, and vegetable trimmings, and Taner had the Buffalo Chicken Burger, with hot sauce, mozza, bacon, and vegetables. Both burgers were served with delicious hand-cut fries, and we both opted for a side of their poutine gravy (I liked it, although Taner didn’t).

Black and Blue Burger

Buffalo Chicken Burger

Customers can opt for a gluten free bun, if they like, which I thought was a nice recognition of varying diets by a restaurant that serves a traditional meat-bread-potatoes kind of meal.

I’d recommend Soda Jerks to any fan of a good burger. The food was delicious, the menu extensively customizable, and the service friendly and efficient; likewise, the 50’s diner concept offering is modernized by the restaurant’s attention to modern dietary concerns. Huge, huge kudos to Soda Jerks for paying such attention to nutritional detail. And it’s reasonable, at approximately $15-20 per person.

Be sure to Instagram your burger for the chance to win a $50 gift certificate!